You are using an older browser version. Please use a supported version for the best MSN experience.

After jolts, AAP set to rebuild itself in Delhi

LiveMint 22-05-2017Pretika Khanna

Shifting focus from the recent controversies to internal party strengthening, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is working to re-build its organizational strength in the national capital.

AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will address rallies in rural Delhi this week to speak to farmers regarding the land pooling policy passed by the government, said AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai, while addressing a press conference on Monday.

To reach out to people and party volunteers, AAP will organize meetings in every assembly constituency from next month. These meetings will see Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and the elected members of assembly in attendance.

“In Delhi, AAP under their sangathan nirman (organization building) programme has started the process with new energy. The party has launched ‘mera booth, sabse masbooth’ (my booth is the strongest). From the CM to every minister and party leader will work for strengthening their booths,” Rai said.

The party has named 3,000 polling station heads. By 15 June, they plan to appoint booth heads for all 13,373 booths in Delhi.

This comes after AAP, which has been in power in Delhi assembly since 2015, faced a rout in the civic body polls where it won only 48 seats out of the 272 spread across three municipal corporations.

After the civic polls, the party has faced an internal rift which led to the expulsion of Kapil Mishra, a former cabinet minister, from the party.

“We will first work on strengthening the party’s organization in Delhi and then move to other states to complete the task with which the AAP was formed,” Rai added.

AAP, which contested assembly elections in the states of Punjab and Goa earlier this year, faced criticism for ignoring the Kejriwal-led government in the national capital.